Life as we Know it

I’m going to talk about something that’s been weighing on my mind for quite a few years now. Considering recent media coverage, it’s probably been on yours, as well, though it’s a sensitive topic.

Well, sometimes the hardest things, such as the pro-life/pro-choice debate, are the most worthwhile. There’s a reason certain topics are controversial. There’s a reason certain statements are hard to swallow.

Because they should have never been an issue in the first place.

Change is crucial. Those taking a pro-life stance know a baby is human from the moment of conception. It’s simply in a different stage of life, much like a toddler grows into a child, a child into a teenager, and so on. This is simple truth. But a good way to reach the pro-choice side is with pain logic. Most Americans agree that abortion should be illegal after the fetus can feel pain. So today I’m going to focus on that argument, although there are many you can research.

Before we delve into the hard stuff, lets start with an elementary science lesson, compliments of my son’s library book. As we were reading, this illustration caught my attention.*

A one-celled animal will react to its surroundings in order to protect itself.

A One-Celled Animal.

Yes, we know that unlike a fetus, this animal is fully formed, but hear me out. By 10 days after conception, a fetus has formed into a blastocyste consisting of hundreds of cells.**

If all things science bore you, I apologize. My nerd self enjoys this stuff, and I do have a point…

By day 10-12 the embryo can direct its own development with no input from the mother’s tissues.***

At 16 days the neural plate forms. (This is the beginning of the nervous system, which is responsible for relaying pain responses to the brain.) At 6-7 weeks, the neural tube closes and forms 3 sections: the fore brain, mid brain and hind brain. Sometime between week 7 and 16, the baby’s neural system has formed enough to feel pain. ****

Abby Johnson, a former director for Planned Parenthood, witnessed a 13 week old baby struggle for its life against abortion instruments. This would spur Abby to walk away from her position of authority at the country’s largest abortion provider and write Unplanned, which became a movie of the same name in 2019.

Now, all of this information I just shared with you I found in just a few minutes. And I’m certainly not an expert on the subject. All scientists on both sides of the argument agree a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks, but more recent studies have proven it’s earlier. My point is that we still don’t know exactly when a baby can feel pain inside the womb. It’s most likely between weeks 7-16, and babies develop at different rates.

This is a really hot topic right now and one that’s been close to my heart for a long time. So if there’s any time to speak out, it’s now.

At Liberty University’s Convocation, David Nasser pointed out that there’s a difference between being convinced and being convicted.

If you’re pro-choice, I highly doubt this short blog post has convinced you. So do your own research. Find out the truth. Because since 1973 when Roe v Wade passed, the media has done everything it can to keep Americans in the dark.

If you’re pro-life, are you convicted? Because so many lives are being lost. 2,899 per day average from 1973-2013, to be exact. ****

Here’s what you can do:

  1. Pray
  2. Research and learn
  3. Share with love (because the whole point of this is to care for the woman and child)
  4. Vote
  5. This is the fun one: support pro-life brands like COL1972. This clothing company donates 10% of all proceeds to pro-life organizations.

* The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses: Joanna Cole/Bruce Degen. 1999




heart Photo by Michael Fenton on Unsplash

Author: audrasanlyn

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